


Doorways

by TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel



Category: Avengers (2012), Labyrinth (1986), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (2011)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Mind Control, Timey-Wimey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-02 15:02:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2816441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel/pseuds/TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SHIELD needs an expert in mythology to advise them about Loki after he steals the Tesseract and several of their people. They choose Professor Sarah Williams.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Doorways**

 

It wasn’t every day that a lecturer on ancient mythologies found herself abducted by a covert agency which claimed that it required her services for reasons which it refused to disclose, but by this point Sarah Williams had weathered a lot in her life, and while it was a little daunting she was certain that she could deal with her bizarre situation. It was vaguely amusing, actually: Sarah had no idea why a covert agency she’d never heard of before in her life insisted that they needed the help of a mythology professor, but she was willing to bet that the explanation would be worth listening to.

So Sarah sat quietly without asking any questions as she was flown to who-knew-where, tried not to raise her eyebrows as she was escorted into the inside of what seemed to be some kind of aircraft carrier, and reacted with equanimity when she was finally shown into a blank white room where a man wearing a nice suit and an urbane smile was waiting for her.

“Professor Williams,” said the man, rising to his feet. “I’m Agent Coulson.”

A glance at Coulson told Sarah that the smile was as much a part of a perfected facade as the suit was, and she immediately paid it no attention, narrowing her eyes as she met Coulson’s.

“I’ve spent this entire journey restraining my curiosity about what I’m doing here, Agent Coulson,” Sarah said, her tone aiming for brisk. “I hope you’re about to enlighten me. I’d love to know what an agency like yours needs with a mythology professor.”

“Of course,” said Coulson. “Please, take a seat, and I’ll explain.” His smile didn’t shift as Sarah gave him a long look, and sat down.

Coulson sat back down on his side of the desk, and opened a manila folder.

“Tell me, Professor Williams,” he said, almost curiously, “hoe much do you know about Norse mythology?”

“Enough to teach a class on it,” Sarah shot back dryly, and saw Coulson’s mouth twitch slightly, but otherwise the facade didn’t shift.

“Of course,” Coulson said again. “But would you say that you’re intimately familiar with the Norse gods, and their world?”

“Why are you asking?” Sarah countered, getting annoyed with the fact that Coulson _still_ wasn’t explaining. Her journey here had taken several hours, with almost no notice, and Sarah was tired of getting the run-around.

Coulson turned the manila folder around, and slid it towards Sarah. She found herself looking down at a photograph – a CCTV still, it looked like – of a man with dark, slicked-back hair, and a thin, interesting face, wearing black-and-green clothing in a style Sarah had never seen before. There was something about his expression that was both unsettling, and vaguely familiar.

“Who is he?” Sarah asked, glancing up at Coulson. Coulson exhaled slowly.

“Loki of Asgard,” he said, perfectly evenly. “We’ve encountered his brother, Thor, before. They seem to be extraterrestrials.”

For a long moment Sarah was frozen, her mind in a whirl. Then, somehow, she made her lips move.

“Of Asgard,” she heard herself say. “Are they really…?”

“Gods?” Coulson finished for her, and shrugged. “I’d say that’s a matter debate best saved for theologists and philosophers, but what’s certain is that they have powers we do not understand, including magic.”

“Oh,” Sarah said faintly. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. A horrible feeling of dread was working its way down her spine.

“I know this is a shock,” said Coulson sympathetically. “We found it difficult to believe ourselves.”

Sarah held up a hand without opening her eyes.

“Just… give me a minute.”

Coulson fell silent, and Sarah took a moment to bring herself to accept that yes, little though she liked it, she’d apparently been brought back into the world of magic.

Sarah’s life hadn’t been totally devoid of magic – there were her friends from the Labyrinth, who even now she sometimes called for, and the goblins she sometimes saw following her out of the corner of her eyes – but _gods?_ That was a totally different level of magic, and Sarah knew it.

Finally she opened her eyes again, and took another look at Coulson.

“What’s Loki done?” she asked, because it _had_ to be Loki. She knew her mythology better than anyone – Loki was the trickster, was chaos personified, and even when he didn’t intend to be malicious he still caused trouble. It was simply his nature.

Coulson’s lips thinned.

“He stole an artefact from one of our bases, and kidnapped several of our people using some kind of mind-control device,” he said.

Sarah winced.

“It’s all in the file,” Coulson added, tapping the folder.

Sarah was pretty sure she knew why she was here, now, but needed to ask anyway.

“Why am I here? What do you want from me?” she asked.

Coulson steepled his fingers. His expression was serious.

“Loki is currently in SHIELD custody, and on his way here,” Coulson said. “At this point, you’re the closest thing we have to an expert on this guy. We want you there when we interrogate him, just in case you can shed some light on what he’s up to.”

Sarah swallowed the urge to say, _But all I know is stories! They’re not supposed to be real!_

 She knew it wouldn’t help, and she’d outgrown futile complaints a long time ago.

“I guess I’d better get started on this file,” she said, reaching for the folder.

Coulson smiled the urbane smile again.

“You do that. We’ll have some refreshments brought for you while you’re going through it,” he said, getting to his feet. “If you need anything, there’s an agent just outside the door.”

Sarah didn’t ask, _For your sake or mine?_ Instead, she watched as Coulson walked to the door and opened it, shutting it behind him as he left.

Settling back in her seat, Sarah began reading through the file Coulson had left behind, and wondered what the hell she’d gotten into.

* * *

It took Sarah a while to finish reading the file, and when she did, she sat back in her chair, and tried to absorb it all.

While she was sitting there, thinking about what she’d read, there was a knock on the door, and the door opened to reveal a tactical-suited agent.

“Professor Williams?” the agent said politely. “If you’ve finished reading the file, you’re needed.”

“I’ve finished,” Sarah told her, closing the file and picking it up. “Do I need to return this, or…?”

“That’s your copy,” said the agent. “You can keep it with you for as long as you remain on the helicarrier.”

“Thank you,” said Sarah.

“If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the others,” said the agent.

“Of course,” Sarah agreed, and followed the agent.

After walking through a maze of corridors Sarah was shown into a briefing room, where several people were watching a screen set in the tabletop, including a man Sarah recognised as Thor, who was wearing some sort of armour that showed off his impressive biceps. Sarah glanced at the screen, and saw Loki, trapped in some sort of glass room. Sarah raised her eyebrows, wondering if that was really enough to hold him.

“He really grows on you, doesn’t he?” one of the observers commented.

“I don’t suppose we have anything magical in place to actually keep him in there?” Sarah asked, joining the group by the table. “Or are we just relying on his goodwill?”

The others turned to look at her.

“You have doubts about our ability to hold him?” asked the red-headed woman in the tactical suit.

“Well, he _is_ magical,” Sarah pointed out.

“He doesn’t have the spear, though,” the man who had spoken earlier pointed out, although he looked thoughtful.

“The spear was a tool, and it probably made using magic easier, but that doesn’t mean he can’t use magic at all without it,” said Sarah. “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Loki was able to escape his… cell.”

“She is right,” said a deep voice, as Thor walked closer to the others. “Loki is well-versed in magic, even without the spear.” He looked perturbed.

“Great,” said the red-headed woman in the tactical suit. “That’s just what we need.”

“That sounds bad,” said the man Sarah was talking to, frowning.

“It probably is,” said Sarah. “I’m sorry, but I’m not sure who you are.”

“Oh, right,” said the man. “Dr Bruce Banner. Expert in gamma radiation.”

“Professor Sarah Williams,” said Sarah. “Expert in Norse mythology, among other things.”

“Mythology, huh?” Banner smiled slightly. “You must feel a little out of your depth, to be dealing with the real thing.”

“Less so than you’d expect,” Sarah told him. She turned to Thor. “Prince Thor.” Sarah’s business skirt wasn’t exactly suitable for a curtsey, so Sarah inclined her head deeply as a gesture of respect. “It is an honour to meet you.”

“The honour is mine, my lady,” said Thor, and he managed to summon up the ghost of a charming grin, although he still looked worried. “Are you also a warrior of SHIELD?”

“No, I’m not,” said Sarah. “I’m a scholar, really. My job is to study the tales told about Asgard and its people, and to teach them to others.” She felt that was close enough to her actual job description, and one which someone from Thor’s culture would understand.

Thor’s face brightened a little in interest.

“You are a teller of stories, then,” he said. “What brings you here?”

“SHIELD hoped that with my knowledge of the stories told about him, I might be able to explain a little about Loki’s behaviour,” Sarah explained. “They thought I might notice something everyone else had missed. As it happens, I do have a question to ask you.”

“Oh?” asked Thor.

“The last we heard, your brother was on Asgard,” said Sarah. “But that wasn’t where he came from this time, was it? So where was he? What happened to him?”

Thor sighed deeply, looking pained.

“Loki fell from the Bifrost,” he said. “All of us thought him dead. He was mourned. It was not until a few days ago that he was once again visible to Heimdall’s sight.”

“What’s his play, Thor?” asked the man in the Captain America suit, who Sarah suspected was actually _the_ Captain America. Sarah might have been awed, except that as it was, she was talking to a Norse god. Why not add Captain America to the mix?

“Loki has an army, the Chitauri. They are not of Asgard, or any known realm. He means to lead them against your people.”

“I have another question,” Sarah interrupted, just as Tony Stark walked into the room. “This is just a hunch, but… Prince Thor, are your brother’s eyes usually blue?”

Thor blinked, looking blank at the question.

“Loki’s eyes are green,” he said, a faint edge of uncertainty in his voice. “What does it matter?”

“Because according to the file I read, Agent Barton’s eyes turned blue when he fell under Loki’s control,” said Sarah. “And if Loki’s eyes are supposed to be green, but are blue instead, does that mean he’s acting under someone else’s control? I mean, he had to get the army from somewhere. And you said that Heimdall couldn’t see him until a few days ago. What if someone captured him after he fell from the Bifrost?”

“You honestly think Loki’s under mind control,” said Stark incredulously.

“I think it’s possible,” Sarah corrected.

The others exchanged glances, as a man in a long leather coat and an eyepatch walked into the room.

“Then if Loki’s being mind-controlled…” said Banner.

“Can we break that control somehow?” asked Captain America.

“Excuse me?” said the man in the long leather coat. “You think Loki is being mind-controlled? Since when?”

“His eyes are the wrong colour, Director,” the red-headed woman summarised. “Blue, the same colour Clint’s turned when Loki took control of him. Professor Williams thinks Loki might have been sent by someone else.”

Sarah found herself being regarded by one unnerving eye, as the man in the long leather coat looked at her.

“You do, huh?”

“I think it’s possible,” Sarah agreed. “Prince Thor told me that Loki’s eyes are usually green. The fact that they’re blue…” She let her voice trail off, and shrugged.

“She has a point,” Stark said. “Anyone have any ideas on how to break the mind-control, if Loki _is_ being controlled?”

“Cognitive recalibration,” suggested the red-headed woman. When everyone looked blank or inquiring, she added, “A strong blow to the head.”

“That seems unscientific,” Banner mused. “Would it work?”

“If it would free my brother, I would gladly deliver such a blow,” Thor offered.

“What do you think, Professor?” the Director asked Sarah, raising an eyebrow.

Sarah considered the question. She didn’t know much about actual magic besides her own experiences, only stories and fairytales. Thor and Loki’s kind of magic seemed to differ a lot from the magic Sarah knew. She wasn’t sure how much help she would be, in the current situation.

Still… she might be able to think of something.

“I’d like to talk to him,” said Sarah. “Loki, I mean. I think it’s important to find out what happened to him after he fell from the Bifrost. I get the feeling that’s the key.”

“You think you can get something useful out of him, go ahead and try,” said the Director. “Romanov. Show Professor Williams to Loki’s cell.”

“Follow me,” said the red-headed woman, getting to her feet. Sarah obediently followed her out of the room.

“You really think he’ll answer your questions?” Romanov asked.

Sarah smiled wryly.

“I have a way with words,” she said, without explaining herself further.

Romanov shrugged, and walked the rest of the way without saying anything else.

She stopped in front of an open doorway, and nodded towards it.

“Loki’s in there,” she said. “Make sure you keep your distance.”

“I will,” said Sarah. “Thanks.”

She walked through the open doorway, and down the staircase, until she was on the same level as Loki’s cell. She turned to face him, bracing herself. Sarah had mostly rolled with everything so far – after all, she’d experienced worse. But Loki was a trickster, maybe even more so than the Goblin King, and Sarah found that she was dreading this.

Loki, when she looked at him, was watching Sarah with a remote, faintly bored expression. Only his eyes, vividly blue and far too keen, showed how much attention he was paying her.

“And who is this?” Loki asked, watching her. “Another SHIELD lackey?”

“Actually, I’m a lecturer on Norse mythology,” said Sarah, doing her best to seem calm and collected, despite what she was really feeling. “And I’m here to ask you some questions.”

“A lecturer on Norse mythology?” Loki’s smile split his face. “By all means, go ahead and ask. I suppose SHIELD thinks you have some kind of insight into my nature.” He seemed amused.

“I want to know what happened after you fell from the Bifrost,” said Sarah, and the smile vanished from Loki’s face.

“What does it matter?” he asked, keeping his voice carefully even. “I intend to conquer your world, and you ask me pointless questions?”

“See, I don’t think it is a pointless question,” said Sarah. “According to Thor, Heimdall couldn’t see you, and then he could – just in time, coincidentally, to see you with an army and plans to invade our planet. But that army had to come from somewhere. That spear you used had to come from somewhere. I think someone gave it to you, and told you what to do. I don’t thin you’re the would-be conqueror here. I think you’re someone’s pawn,” Sarah finished, and waited to see how Loki reacted.

His face had turned white, but for the flush of colour high on his cheekbones. His eyes glittered angrily, but there was something behind the anger that might have been fear.

“An entertaining supposition,” said Loki, forcing a smile. “Unfortunately, quite wrong. I’m afraid.”

“Is it?” Sarah asked. “Then why are your eyes blue?”

For a moment Loki looked confused. Sarah walked closer, until she was almost close enough to touch the glass – but no further, remembering Romanov’s words.

“Just tell me,” said Sarah, staring into Loki’s eerily blue eyes. “Who sent you?”

Just for a moment, Loki’s eyes flickered, from blue to green. He opened his mouth, but his words seemed to catch in his throat.

“Tell me!” Sarah commanded.

It looked as though it took him a great deal of effort, but Loki managed one word, barely a whisper.

“ _Thanos_ ,” he said, and immediately his eyes flickered back to blue.

Sarah took a step backwards, and inclined her head.

“Thank you, Prince Loki,” she said, and turned to walk back to the briefing room.

* * *

When Sarah returned to the briefing room, the others were talking animatedly.

“He looked like he was fighting _something_ ,” said Captain America. “I think he really is under mind-control.”

“What I want to know is who Thanos is,” said the Director, glancing at Thor.

“Thanos, the Mad Titan,” said Thor sombrely. “If he is indeed behind Loki’s actions, than the situation is far graver than I believed.”

“Why?” Banner asked. “Who’s Thanos? What is he?”

“Powerful,” Thor supplied gravely. “He has invaded planets before, in his quest to court Death. All have fallen before him, and been destroyed. Even the might of Asgard likely would not withstand his attack, should he choose to target us.”

“Uh, I’m not the only one who heard the capital letter there, right?” said Stark. “What do you mean, his quest to court Death?”

“Death is not only a state of being, but an entity,” Thor explained. “Thanos seeks her favour by causing death and destruction wherever he goes.”

“He sounds crazy,” Captain America commented.

“He has earned the title of the Mad Titan for a reason,” said Thor.

Sarah took a seat at the table, listening to the others.

“But why would he want to attack Earth?” Romanov asked.

“Maybe Loki told him about us?” Stark suggested. “I mean, we’re clearly outclassed in the science and technology department where worlds like Asgard are concerned. Maybe he thought we’d be easy pickings.”

“Perhaps,” said Thor. “Thanos is not kind. I have no doubt most people would tell him a great many things, under the tortures he inflicts. Regardless, now that Thanos has Earth in his sights, he shall not rest until it is destroyed.”

Sarah tuned out a little, thinking to herself. If this Thanos was as powerful as Thor suggested, than nothing anyone on Earth could do would stop him. The way Thor told it, the moment Thanos had found out about Earth, it was doomed, no matter what anyone chose to do. The only way to change their fate, it seemed, would be to change what had already happened.

 _If only you knew someone who could reorder time,_ a treacherous little voice in Sarah’s head thought sarcastically.

Sarah swallowed. It had been many long years since she had tangled with the Goblin King and run his Labyrinth, and Sarah had, over time, come to a different point of view about Jareth than the one she’d held as a naive teenager. But asking a being of power like that back into your life, for whatever reason, was still dangerous.

The only question was, was it worth it?

“Thor,” Sarah asked, as soon as there was a moment’s pause in the discussion, “in your opinion, is there anything anyone can do that will stop Thanos from pursuing Earth’s destruction?”

Thor was silent for a long moment, and everyone else was quiet as they waited for his answer.

“I fear not,” Thor said heavily. “I am sorry.”

So, that was it, Sarah thought. If the choice was between the Earth’s destruction, and a volatile Goblin King, she knew what she would choose.

It might not even be all that bad, she thought wryly.

“I wish,” Sarah said quietly, “that when Loki fell from the Bifrost, he’d landed on Earth, somewhere where he’d be safe and cared for.”

“Well, wishes are great and all,” said Stark, “but they don’t exactly–”

There was a tremendous BOOM of thunder that they heard even deep in the depths of the helicarrier, and the lights flickered as the ship juddered.

“What the hell?” Stark yelped, looking to Thor along with everyone else but Sarah. She was busy waiting, her eyes on the door.

“This is none of my doing,” Thor said grimly, his gaze distant, as though he was focusing in something elsewhere. “It feels…”

At that moment a barn owl flew into the room, and a moment later in a flash of shadow a tall figure stood in the centre of the room, before Sarah.

Jareth was as resplendent as Sarah remembered, in an embroidered waistcoat and – Sarah kept her eyes firmly on his face – pants that were as tight as ever. He still looked like something dreamed up by a teenage girl with a fantastical imagination.

Sarah regarded him steadily, and Jareth’s mismatched eyes looked back.

“Hello, Goblin King,” said Sarah, never taking her eyes from him.

“Hello, precious,” said Jareth. He ignored the other occupants of the room entirely. “I see you’ve grown up.”

“Uh, what?” said Banner, while Stark said, “ _Goblin King?_ ” The others just stared, caught between confusion and wariness. Thor watched Jareth uneasily, but said nothing.

“Mortals generally do,” Sarah said dryly. “I’m not so sure about Fae.”

Jareth’s lips twitched at one corner, in what might have been faint amusement. It was hard to tell.

“Your manners are as charming as ever,” he said, and remembering what she’d been like at fifteen, Sarah knew that was _not_ a compliment. But she inclined her head regally, and said, “Thank you. So are yours.”

Jareth’s lips twitched again, and yes, that was definitely amusement.

“What the hell is going on?” the Director demanded, and was ignored.

“I will grant your wish, Champion of the Labyrinth,” Jareth said. “But do you understand the consequences, Sarah?”

Sarah gave him a rueful smile, because she wasn’t fifteen anymore, and she understood very well the consequences of her actions.

“I suspect,” she said, “that I’ve just given you an invitation into my life. Am I right?”

Jareth smiled – a sinister smile, but an attractive one nonetheless. Sarah had been too terrified of him last time to really appreciate the fact, but this time, as a grown woman, she privately admitted that he was an attractive man.

“More than that, Sarah,” he said, and there was something gloating in his smile. “I now hold power over you.”

Sarah looked at him thoughtfully.

“And what do you intend to do with that power?” she asked.

Jareth’s answering smirk was wicked.

“You will see,” he said, and threw one of his crystals into the air.

The last thing Sarah saw was his laughing face, pleased and triumphant.

* * *

Sarah woke abruptly, and immediately groaned as the crick in her neck made itself known. Sitting up from her slumped position at her desk, she winced as she rotated her head, her neck stiff and sore.

Sarah reached up to rub the back of her neck, blinking away the last of her slumber, returning to alertness. She grimaced down at the pile of papers she’d been resting her head on, and glanced at the clock to check the time.

For some reason, she was experiencing a strong sense of deja vu.

She’d been dreaming, Sarah thought, dreaming of gods and superheroes and…

 _Jareth_.

Sarah suddenly recalled the last part of her dream, and realised with alarm that it might not have been a dream at all.

She glanced warily around her office, and her eyes landed on her window. Outside on the window sill, a barn owl sat.

Sarah stared at it for a long moment.

Then she got up from her seat, and opened the window to let the owl in.


	2. Chapter 2

The Goblin King was in Sarah’s office.

If she was truthful, part of Sarah had always wanted to meet him again, despite how much he had frightened her as a teenager; he had been fascinating and otherwordly, and Sarah had always loved otherwordly things – perhaps too much, given the predicament she had found herself in at fifteen.

Sarah had tucked away many of her dreams as she grew older, trading them in for cold realities that were no less satisfying… but in her heart she was still a dreamer, and the story of the Labyrinth – before it all became real – had been one of her favourite dreams.

So as Jareth changed from owl form to his usual one, Sarah smiled, and hoped that she was smart enough to outwit the Fae at his own game, whatever it was this time.

“Why are you here, Goblin King?” she asked.

“Must you ask, Sarah?” Jareth countered. “Have you so quickly forgotten the last wish you made?” His voice was faintly mocking.

“Of course not,” said Sarah. “But that doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

“Doesn’t it?” Jareth perched on the edge of her desk. “Then perhaps I underestimated you, precious.”

Sarah folded her arms, lips thinning.

“No more games,” she snapped. “I’ve had enough of those for a lifetime, so plain words if you please, Jareth!” She sent him a glare, to make sure he knew she meant it.

Jareth grimaced slightly.

“Can’t you guess, precious thing?” He stood, and took a step closer towards Sarah. “You spurned my affections once, Sarah. Would you do so a second time?”

Sarah let her expression slide into something highly unimpressed. Her arms stayed folded.

“ _Fear me, love me, do as I say?_ ” she quoted. “Hardly the basis for a relationship, Jareth. Is that honestly all you can offer me?”

Jareth, Sarah noted, looked both confused and offended.

“I would offer you my _heart_ , Sarah.” His voice was haughty, but with an undertone of hurt.

Sarah refused to be swayed. She’d had her fair share of overdramatic boyfriends when she was younger, before she wised up. They _all_ acted haughty and hurt, when she tried to have a reasonable discussion with them. She honestly wasn’t even sure why she was trying with Jareth, except –

Well, Sarah always had been a dreamer. Damn it.

“Hearts are all well and good, but they’re not what makes a relationship,” said Sarah ruthlessly. “Loyalty. Affection. Friendship. Compromise. Without them, relationships fall apart. We don’t even know each other, not really.”

“So what do you propose?” Jareth asked, looking discontented, but willing to listen.

“Courtship,” Sarah said firmly. “A period to get to know each other and decide whether we’ll actually get along, or if we’ll spend the entire time having fights and disagreements. And whatever happens, I have a life here, and I’m not going to completely leave it behind.”

The Goblin King frowned. Sarah knew how it worked in stories: the king fell in love with the beautiful maiden, he made a grand gesture, and the beautiful maiden fell in love with him in return – at which point they lived happily ever after despite knowing nothing of each other’s personality or personal habits. But this wasn’t a story, and Sarah wasn’t a maiden anymore. Jareth might be having trouble getting his head around the idea, though, Sarah thought, and felt a sudden flash of amusement which she was careful to hide.

“Courtship,” Jareth repeated slowly. He never took his eyes from Sarah. “I suppose... that would be acceptable.”

“Great,” said Sarah, and smiled at him. She immediately began rummaging through a desk drawer – to the bemusement of Jareth, if his expression was any indication.

“Cookie?” Sarah offered, pulling a cookie packet out of the drawer, and holding it in his direction.

Jareth’s expression was a combination of curiosity and disdain, but he took one.

Sarah took a cookie herself.

“I’m starved,” she said, in between mouthfuls. “I haven’t eaten since lunch, however long ago that was.” She glanced down at the stack of papers she’d been napping on. “I should probably be grading papers, not entertaining Goblin Kings in my office.”

“The papers will wait,” said Jareth.

“And you won’t?” Sarah guessed, laughing a little.

Jareth only smiled at her, an answer in itself.

“Your friends in the Labyrinth have missed you, Sarah,” he said cajolingly. “Will you come to the Underground and visit them?”

Sarah raised an eyebrow at him.

“My friends in the Labyrinth saw me three days ago,” she said, amused. She glanced at the clock. It was almost time for her to go home, anyway. “But I guess a short visit wouldn’t hurt.” She held up a warning finger. “And I mean a _short_ visit.”

“I am capable of reordering time,” Jareth pointed out. “Time means nothing.”

Sarah folded her arms and looked stubborn.

“But if that is what you wish, so be it,” Jareth conceded. He offered Sarah his arm. “Shall we, precious?”

Trying not to feel nervous, Sarah smiled at him, and took his arm.

If nothing else, she thought, this would be an adventure, and her life was sadly free of adventures, these days.

* * *

Three months later Sarah was at a Ren Faire, wearing a flowing blue dress in an old-fashioned style, and looking slightly younger than she had three months previously.

Sarah had noticed the faint wrinkles and fine lines slowly disappearing from her face over the past few months, but hadn’t mentioned it to Jareth. Let the Goblin King think he was being subtle.

Sarah was sitting on a large patch of grass, surrounded by children, who were listening intently as Sarah told them myths and fairytales. She had no idea where Jareth was; he’d wandered off a while ago to look at the various stalls, and Sarah suspected that when he returned, he’d be bearing gifts. Jareth was taking the whole courting thing very seriously, behaving almost like a gentleman, and bringing Sarah small but thoughtful presents as tokens of his affection. These days Sarah spent almost as much time Underground as she did in the world Above, keeping Jareth company. She hadn’t expected to like Jareth’s kingdom all that much, based on her previous experience with it: but there was always something interesting going on there, and the playful arguments between her and Jareth livened things up considerably.

Sarah had almost telling the story of how the gods Thor and Loki had retrieved Thor’s hammer after it was stolen by the giant Thrym, when she noticed a figure standing beyond the circle of listening children.

He was wearing jeans and a green t-shirt, but the slicked-back hair was the same, as was the pale, thin face. Green eyes sparkled with amusement as he listened to Sarah’s retelling of the Norse myth.

Sarah almost lost her place in the story at the sight of Loki standing there and listening, but she recovered her composure, carefully not glancing at him as she finished the tale.

“And now I think that’s enough stories for a while,” said Sarah, and was met with disappointed protests from the kids. “If you’re lucky, I might tell some more later, but right now I need to go find someone, okay?”

The children dispersed with more sounds of disappointment, and Sarah climbed to her feet, and walked over to where Loki stood.

“I hope you enjoyed the tale,” she said with a smile.

“Oh, immensely,” Loki assured her, with a grin. It faded into a frown as he got a good look at Sarah’s face, and his eyes ran over her features as though he was trying to place her.

“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked, although she had her suspicions.

“I have seen your face before,” said Loki slowly. “I dreamed of you, once. A terrible dream, in which my mind and will were ensnared by a monster.” He looked uneasy.

“That does sound terrible,” Sarah agreed gently. “But at least you know it never happened.”

“Well, well,” said a familiar voice, in the same moment as an arm was slipped around Sarah’s waist. Sarah turned her head to see Jareth beside her, his eyes on Loki. “Renewing an acquaintance, precious thing?”

Most people, looking at Jareth right then, would only have seen an ordinary-looking man of about Sarah’s age, his true appearance hidden by a Fae glamour. But Loki frowned at Jareth for a moment, before his eyes widened as though he saw Jareth for what he truly was.

“Goblin King.” New understanding filled Loki’s eyes, and he gave a respectful bow. “I have much to thank you for, if my suspicions are correct.”

“It is not I you owe thanks to, princeling.” Jareth nodded his head towards Sarah. “It was at my lady’s wish that I reordered time.”

“Than I thank you most sincerely, my lady,” Loki bowed to Sarah, this time, “for delivering me from a most terrible fate. I am in your debt.”

“Then tell me something, and we’ll call it even,” Sarah suggested. “Where _did_ you end up, after you fell from the Bifrost?”

Loki’s eyes filled with surprise, but after a moment he smiled.

“I landed in the back garden of a beautiful young lady whose intellect surpasses even my own,” he said, and seemed warmed by the thought. “She offered me her hospitality until I was able to find my feet, and we remain great friends.”

“Just friends, huh?” Sarah asked, with a knowing grin.

Loki’s answering smile was cheeky.

“Well. Perhaps a little more, though it is early days yet,” he admitted.

“What’s her name?” Sarah asked, still smiling.

“Matilda,” Loki answered.

“An auspicious name,” said Jareth smoothly. “Tell me, princeling, do you wish to see your family again?”

“What?” Loki looked suddenly wary, before realisation filled his face. “You! _You_ are why they did not seek me out!”

“Sarah wished for you to land on Earth somewhere you would be both safe and cared for,” said the Goblin King. “Had your family found you, neither safety nor care would have awaited you.”

Loki’s lips pressed together in a thin line as he considered Jareth’s words and the question Jareth had asked.

“Let Thor find me,” he said at last. “There is much between us which must be discussed, and… I would apologise, for trying to kill him.” It was subtle, but Loki looked ashamed of himself.

For a moment he looked ridiculously young, no older than one of Sarah’s students. She patted his arm.

“You know, I once wished my younger brother away to the goblins,” Sarah said sympathetically. “I still feel guilty about it, but I won him back, and in the end, that’s what’s important. If you’re truly sorry, making amends is the best thing you can do.”

Loki met her eyes, and nodded, his green eyes searching her own. He seemed to find whatever it was he was looking for, because a wry smile touched his lips.

“You give good advice, my lady,” he said.

“Sarah,” Sarah said impulsively. “Call me Sarah. And I hope that we can be friends.”

Loki glanced a little warily at Jareth at that, but Jareth only gave him a bored look, so Loki sent Sarah a polite smile.

“I think I should like that, Lady Sarah,” he murmured.

Sarah smiled at him, and then looked at Jareth.

“Come on,” she said, wrapping an arm around his waist to match the one around hers, and rested her head against Jareth’s shoulder for just a moment. “Let’s go look at the stalls, and you can tell me about where you sneaked off to while I was story-telling.” She looked to Loki. “You can come with us, if you like,” she added.

Loki’s eyes flickered between them for a moment: but then he smiled, a small genuine smile.

“I would be honoured,” he said with sincerity, and joined Sarah and Jareth as Sarah pulled free of Jareth’s arm so that she could hold his hand instead, tugging him towards the stalls.

 

 

 


End file.
